Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
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So cozy, so hearty! Loaded with vegetables, beans, pasta + Parmesan rind for extra flavor. Vegetarian-friendly!
Featured Comment
With so many soups and stews being made, my Instant Pot has been working some major overtime this winter. We call it our magic pot. And now our lovely magic pot can make the best minestrone soup there ever was with the touch of a button.
why i love this recipe
- One pot meal. This is one of those weeknight hero recipes where you can throw all of your veggies, beans, broth, pasta and greens into one single pot for a quick and easy clean up.
- Versatile. The recipe can easily be bulked up to add meat or made vegetarian (or vegan).
- Freezer-friendly. Minestrone soup freezes very, very well (sans pasta, of course) without significant changes to flavor and texture.
is this minestrone soup or vegetable soup?
Both minestrone and vegetable soup include veggies, but minestrone is typically a thicker soup that includes beans and pasta (or rice).
tips and tricks for success
- Use short cut pasta. Ditalini, macaroni or a small shape pasta similar in size to the vegetables is ideal.
- Add more vegetables. Minestrone can serve as a clean-out-the-fridge meal, adding in other veggies you have on hand such as shredded cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and green beans.
- Choose your meat. As written, this recipe does not contain meat but you can easily add ground beef, shredded chicken or crumbled Italian sausage.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the broth and adds a level of nutty richness to the soup.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with minestrone soup
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Spinach, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all great subs.
The red wine vinegar adds brightness and helps balance out the flavors.
The chicken broth can be substituted with vegetable broth.
Use vegetable broth and skip the Parmesan.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the pasta (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked pasta and a splash of broth (if needed) when serving.
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 (3-inch) Parmesan rind
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup ditalini pasta
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Add olive oil, garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and fennel seed until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, zucchini, Parmesan rind and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in pasta and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 8-11 minutes.
- Stir in kale until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in red wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
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I’d love to try this soup recipe!!
Soup seems like a great recipe to start with!
I will make a delicious buffalo chicken dip. It is a wonderful recipe for game day and for everyday munching.
I would definitely make Chicken Wild Rice soup as I come from Northern Minnesota where there is a lot of wild rice. Friends harvest it in the fall and I am fortunate to get some wild rice. I might add I am 84 years old and don’t have a lot of time left to cook over a hot stove. An Instant pot would give me more time to enjoy my remaining years. LOL
The first thing I’d make is Mexican Shredded Chicken. Yum!
I would make this minestrone Soup. It’s my husbands favorite kind!
I absolutely love rice but, I can’t make proper rice to save my life so I’d definitely use it for that purpose. On top of that I’d use it for stews, roasts and I’d like to try my hand at yogurt too!
How cool would it be to win an instant pot! The first thing I would make would be Korean beef, no maybe mac & cheese with broccoli or the minestrone soup – so hard to choose. It might depend on our crazy spring weather.
I have WANTED a Insta pot for a longtime! There is so much to make BBQ, soups, yogurt etc!!!!
I would love to try making yogurt in the instant pot!
Beef stroganoff!! And oatmeal I’ve heard it’s pretty good in there.. and just about anything to save time and help a monk out:)
I would pretend it’s St. Patrick’s Day and make home-brined corned beef. Next Mississippi Roast. Then tikka masala.
I want to try hard boiled eggs in the IP
Soooooooo much risotto and curry!!!! ❤❤
Spaghetti and meatballs
I would make healthy freezer meals for my 9 month old grandson Tyler to help out my daughter with the cooking.
I’d make this soup or an easy weeknight chicken dinner!
Your minestrone soup sounds wonderful in our ‘fake’ Spring New England weather!
Hi! I would make sweet barbeque cheesy shredded chicken. When it’s ready I’d put it in a sandwich and serve it alongside platanos and salad.
I have never been a fan of minestrone. Let’s see if your recipe and an Instant Pot can change my mind. First I need an Instant Pot though!